Safety controller of gas stove

ABSTRACT

A safety controller includes a housing including a base and a cover. The base has a main member with a chamber therein, an input channel, an output channel, a gas channel, a check port between the gas channel and the chamber, a lid member with an open end communicated with the chamber. A support member is provided in the chamber. A film resides between the lid member and the cover to separate a space into an inner pressure room and an outer pressure room. A control device is provided in the chamber with an end connected to the film to control a flow rate of gas flowing to the gas channel from the chamber. A pressure up electromagnetic valve and an exhaust electromagnetic valve are provided beside the cover to be activated to change pressures in the inner and outer pressure room respectively to make the film deforming.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a gas stove, and more particularly to a safety controller of a gas stove.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional stoves using gas as the fuel are classified into gas stove, baking stove, and heating stove, and so on. To increase the safety of these stoves, there are two types of designs for safety. One of which provides a control unit to shut off the stove when the stove is overheating or exceeding a setting time. The second of which provides a structure to prevent the stove from being lit directly by the gas switch. These two designs have many inventions.

Both of the conventional safety designs for stove have to change the current structure of the gas stove that increases the cost and lower the profit. In addition, the conventional gas stoves usually control gas supplying to the burner by a gas switch. However, conventional gas switches cannot control gas of big flow rate (such as 100,000 btu or more natural gas) that limit the application of the conventional gas stoves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a safety controller of a gas stove, which increases the safety of the gas stove without having to change the structure.

The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a safety controller of a gas stove, which can control the gas of greater flow rate.

According to the objectives of the present invention, a safety controller of a gas stove, which the gas stove is conned to a gas source through a hose, and a gas adjusting device is mounted on an end of the hose connected to the gas source, and the safety controller is provided on the hose between the gas adjusting device and the gas stove to control the gas stove, includes a housing including a base and a cover. The base has a main member with a chamber therein, an input channel connected to the hose and communicated with the chamber, an output channel connected to the gas stove, a gas channel communicating the output channel and the chamber, a check port between the gas channel and the chamber, a lid member with an open end communicated with the chamber, on which the cover is covered to close the open end. A support member is provided in the chamber and associated with the lid member having a hole. A film resides between the lid member and the cover to separate a space between the lid member and the cover into an inner pressure room, which is communicated with the chamber, and an outer pressure room. A control device is provided in the chamber with an end connected to the film through the hole of the support member and the other end associated with the check port to control a flow rate of gas flowing to the gas channel from the chamber. A pressure up electromagnetic valve and an exhaust electromagnetic valve are provided beside the cover to be activated to change pressures in the inner pressure room and in the outer pressure room respectively to make the film deforming for moving the control device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sketch diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the stove and the gas controller;

FIG. 2 is a sketch diagram of inside of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sketch diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the movement of the film and control device toward the outer pressure room.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a safety controller 10 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in a stove 20. The stove 20 in the present invention is a conventional baking stove for BBQ having a hose 201 connecting to a gas source, such as natural gas source. A gas adjuster 202 is mounted on the hose 201 adjacent to the gas source to control the stove. The gas adjuster 202 includes a housing 12, a support block 13, a film 14, a control device 15, a pressure-up electromagnetic valve 16 and an exhaust electromagnetic valve 17.

The housing 12 includes a base 22 and a cover 24 coupled together. The base 22 includes a main member 26 and a lid member 28. The main member 26 includes a chamber 30 with an opening facing the lid member 28, an input channel 32 communicated with the chamber 30, an output channel 34, and a gas channel 36 communicating the output channel 34 and the chamber 30. The input channel 32 is communicated with the hose 201, and the output channel 34 is communicated with the stove 20. There is a check port 38 with a smaller diameter between the gas channel 36 and the chamber 30. The lid member 28 has a first passageway 40. The cover 24 covers an open end of the lid member 28 with two carrier bases 42, 44 at an outer side for the pressure-up electromagnetic valve 16 and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 residing. The carrier base 42 has a second passageway 46 at an end thereof associated with the first passageway 40 to supply gas to the pressure-up electromagnetic valve 16 through the first passageway 40 and the second passageway 46. The pressure-up electromagnetic valve 16 is a normal open electromagnetic valve, and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 is a normal close electromagnetic valve.

The support block 13 is received in the chamber 30 communicated with the lid member 28, which has a hole 50 at a center thereof.

The film 14 is a conventional elastic film for conventional pressure disk, which resides between the cover 24 and the lid member 28 to separate the space into an inner pressure room 54 and an outer pressure room 56.

The control device 15 is received in the chamber 30 including a driving shaft 58, a closing member 60, a pressure stabilizing member 62 and an elastic member 64. The driving shaft 58 has an end passing through the holes 50 of the support block 13 and connecting the film 14. The closing member 60 is provided on the other end of the driving shaft 58 and associated with the check port 38. The pressure stabilizing member 62 resides beside the closing member 60 and extends into the gas channel 36, which includes a shaft-like connecting portion 66 and a curved adjusting portion 68 at a tail end of the connecting portion 66 to change an area of the check port 38 when the film 14 is moved for stabilization of gas pressure. The elastic member 64, which is a spring, resides between the support block 13 and the closing member 60 to urge the closing member 60 sealing the check port 38.

The pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 are electrically connected to a power switch 70 and a controller (not shown) of the stove 20. The power switch 70 may reside on a control panel of the stove 20.

In addition, the main member 26 further includes a receiving opening 72 communicated with the gas channel 36 to movably provide a conventional flow rate adjusting shaft 74 thereon. An outlet of exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 is connected to an ignition device (not shown) of the stove 20.

The action of the safety controller 10 of the present invention is described hereunder:

FIG. 2 shows the safety controller 10 not started yet, gas flows to the outer pressure room 56 through the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 to pressure up the outer pressure room 56, and then the film 14 is deformed 14 by the pressure to seal the check port 38 tightly by the closing member 60 that gas in the chamber 30 will not flows into the gas channel 36 and the output channel 34.

FIG. 5 shows the power switch 70 turned on to activate the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17, in which the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 is closed and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 is opened. Gas in the outer pressure room 56 flows to the ignition device through the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 to light a mother fire. The pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 are activated again by the controller of the stove 20, in which the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 is opened and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 is closed, after the ignition device lights the mother fire that gas pressure in the inner pressure room 54 is greater than that in the outer pressure room 56 to deform the film 14 toward the outer pressure room 56 and make the driving shaft 58 moving the closing member 600 off the check port 38 so that gas may flows to the stove 20 through the check port 38 and the output channel 34 to light the burner of the stove 20 to have a main fire. Because the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 is closed that the film 14 will no longer moves to keep the closing member 60 away from the check port 38 so that the stove will have a constant gas supply. With the way of the main fire lit by the mother fire to prevent the stove from lighting greater flow rate gas. In addition, the adjusting portion 68 of the pressure stabilizing member 62 may change the area of the gas channel associated with the check port 68 to stabilize the gas pressure.

The safety controller 10 of the present invention is mounted at the gas source of the stove 20 to control the gas flow. Before the stove 20 is lit by operation of the gas switch 203, user has to operate the power switch 70 to activate the safety controller 10. When gas flows into the stove 20, the gas switch may light the fire for safety. The present invention has no need to change the structure of the stove, user only has to install the safety controller 10 of the present invention on the gas input of the stove.

The stove may be any type of the stoves using gas as the fuel.

The safety controller 10 may work with a conventional temperature setting device and temperature sensor (not shown) electrically connected to the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17. The temperature setting device provides a function of setting the temperature of the burner. The temperature sensor reside beside the burner to provide a signal to the safety controller 10 to open the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 for exhaust of the gas in the outer pressure room 56 when the temperature senses the temperature is lower than a preset temperature so that the film 14 is deformed to move the closing member 60 away from the check port 38 for increase of the gas flow through the output channel 34 that will raise the temperature of the burner. On the contrary, if the temperature sensor senses the temperature of the burner is higher than a preset temperature, the controller sends a signal to activate the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 interruptedly to provides less gas into the outer pressure room 56 that deforms the film 14 toward the inner pressure room 54 and narrows a gap between the closed member 60 and the check port 38 so that the gas flow of the output channel 34 is decreased to small the flame of the burner to the preset temperature. The temperature sensor sensing the temperature of the burner may control the pressure up electromagnetic valve 16 and the exhaust electromagnetic valve 17 to change the gap between the closed member 60 and the check port 38 that the flow rat of gas is changed to adjust the flame of the burner automatically. Except that the temperature setting device may set and adjust the flame of the burner manually, it also may be equipped with a remote control to have a wireless control. 

1. A safety controller of a gas stove, which the gas stove is conned to a gas source through a hose, and a gas adjusting device is mounted on an end of the hose connected to the gas source, and the safety controller is provided on the hose between the gas adjusting device and the gas stove to control the gas stove, comprising: a housing including a base and a cover, wherein the base has a main member with a chamber therein, an input channel connected to the hose and communicated with the chamber, an output channel connected to the gas stove, a gas channel communicating the output channel and the chamber, a check port between the gas channel and the chamber, a lid member with an open end communicated with the chamber, on which the cover is covered to close the open end; a support member provided in the chamber and associated with the lid member having a hole; a film between the lid member and the cover to separate a space between the lid member and the cover into an inner pressure room, which is communicated with the chamber, and an outer pressure room; a control device provided in the chamber with an end connected to the film through the hole of the support member and the other end associated with the check port to control a flow rate of gas flowing to the gas channel from the chamber; a pressure up electromagnetic valve and an exhaust electromagnetic valve provided beside the cover to be activated to change pressures in the inner pressure room and in the outer pressure room respectively to make the film deforming for moving the control device.
 2. The safety controller as defined in claim 1, wherein the control device includes a driving shaft with an end connected to the film in the inner pressure room through the hole of the support block, a closing member provided on the other end of the driving shaft and associated with the check port, and a pressure stabilizing member provided on a side of the closing member and extending into the gas channel.
 3. The safety controller as defined in claim 2, wherein the control device further includes an elastic member between the support block and the closing member.
 4. The safety controller as defined in claim 2, wherein the pressure stabilizing member includes an adjusting portion associated with the check port.
 5. The safety controller as defined in claim 1, wherein the pressure up electromagnetic valve is a normal open electromagnetic valve and an exhaust electromagnetic valve is a normal close electromagnetic valve.
 6. The safety controller as defined in claim 5, wherein the exhaust electromagnetic valve has an outlet connected to an ignition device of mother fire of the gas stove.
 7. The safety controller as defined in claim 1, wherein the gas stove may be a baking stove or a heating stove that uses gas as fuel. 